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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cue — a hint
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kick — in football
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — hurry
  20. charge — a price
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cue — for pool
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com